With many small and large bookstores shut down(causing numerous author tours and literary events to be canceled/postponed), putting out the good word on new books is more important than ever before.
Granted, it's not on the same level as medical needs yet keeping our spirits up and imaginations focused on something other than current headlines is vital to helping us get through these terrible times.
This set of five titles due to arrive this upcoming May and June might be just as refreshing as a warm weather vacation or a cool way to spend a holiday weekend sometime soon:
Jennifer Weiner follows up her phenomenal novel Mrs. Everything with a seemingly more lighthearted fictional tale just in time for the relaxing read season.
The leading lady of Big Summer is Daphne , a plus size influencer whose online presence and message of body acceptance is taking off towards a very lucrative fashion line endorsement deal. However, a far from welcome blast from the past is about to disrupt her future plans.
Socialite Drue was once a good friend of Daphne's who had no shame when it came to using and abusing her trust. Daphne broke things off with Drue many years and is truly surprised when her former gal pal shows up to beg Daphne to be the maid of honor at her upcoming wedding to a reality show star. Seems that she has no one else to turn to for such a major life event and while Daphne is less than thrilled about this, the media exposure could be great for the both of them.
Of course, things soon get out of hand, with Daphne trying hard to not fall into those same old patterns of catering to the poor little rich girl. However, Drue's life isn't as picture perfect as it seems and both former friends may have to take a new look at what lies ahead for them separately and together.
I've been reading this story(via Netgalley) and so far, it's a savvy sweet treat that you want to enjoy slowly in order to make the page turning fun last longer. If you're a fan of smartly written female friendships, it would be cruel to deprive yourself of such a suitable summer read(May 5):
SWELTERING TALES OF SUSPENSE
Catalina's letters to her family showcase a steady decline in her spirits and possibly her sanity due to living at the immensely isolated manor known as High Place with husband Virgil Doyle, heir to a silver mine that's seen better days.
Noemi is honestly concerned about her cousin before taking the trip and her dread increases upon meeting the Doyle family, whose cold manners and casual bigotry mask an even greater threat to both women. Despite what the Doyles may think of her, Noemi is more than a match for this mysterious folk and their sinister homestead.
Yes, also reading this one from Netgalley and this engaging tale of terror should be a must-have for your TBR this and any season. Moreno-Garcia has a wonderful flair for reinventing those tried and true story lines to create amazingly awesome new worlds of literary wonder that any reader of fantasy and fear ought to appreciate(June):
A pair of strangers find themselves having no choice but to trust each other in Jessica Barry's Don't Turn Around. Restless bartender Caitlin is at the driver's wheel, taking the secretive Rebecca across the late night Texas roads to New Mexico, with the latter determined to get as far away from her husband as she possibly can.
When a mysterious truck with an unseen driver starts after them, it's hard to tell if this attack is random road rage or a purpose driven mission to take one of the other of these women down for the count. Figuring that out becomes moot as the murderous intent of their mutual foe grows more deadly with every mile.
While I'm not too familiar with Barry,whose last book FreeFall did very well with fans and critics alike, this plot combo of the 1971 cult classic Duel with the ground breaking Thelma & Louise sounds like a thrill ride worth jumping onboard for(June).
A VISIT TO AUSTEN COUNTRY
A local farmer and his doctor are founders of the group dedicated to turning the cottage that Jane Austen once lived in, thanks to her brother Edward Knight and his estate, and making it into a museum in Austen's honor.
Other members of the group include widowed schoolteacher Adeline and Frances, a descendant of the Knight family whose housemaid Evie has been fatefully cataloging the vast array of books in the library of the Great House.
Unfortunately, Frances is not able to directly inherit either Jane's former home or the Knight estate as the will left by her father favors a male heir. Nevertheless, this band of bookish friends are set upon their mission to give Austen the tribute that she deserves and will not be set back by such old fashioned notions. Inspired by Jane's enchanting characters, the group intends to make their mutual as well as their unique dreams come true.
This book is such catnip to us Jane Austen admirers(not to mention some like me who have been to Chawton!) and I hope to take part in the blog tour for this lovely literary salute to Austen and her readers soon. Meanwhile, such a wonderful delight ought to inspire a visit to your home library to revisit the works of Our Dear Jane to widen your appreciation of this new addition(May):
Aspiring chef Ashna is doing her best to keep the restaurant that her late father started still viable, a passion that is not encouraged by her mother who prefers that her daughter pursue a more suitable cause in keeping with her own feminist goals.
Refusing to give up her dream, Ashna signs up for a cooking TV show that unexpectedly reunites her with a past love. Her former high school boyfriend Rico Silva has become a renowned star of Brazilian football and is now her partner on Cooking With The Stars.
Working together like this is awkward at best yet it feels as if their long ago romance might be simmering back to life. However, are these emotions worth stirring up again or is this menu plan for love a one sided affair?
As a fan of Jane Austen's Persuasion(the first one of her books that I read and fell in love with), this retelling sounds incredibly appetizing to say the least(May):
I hope this preview can give someone out there a good start to setting up a summer reading list. While I know that most of this time indoors may make you want to read less(it's happened to me), especially with summer on the horizon, it is one of the few things left to us that can be relied upon for knowledge, entertainment and much needed relief from the storm all around us.
Yes, summer time won't be the same as it once was, so we simply have to redefine what summer is for these times. We can certainly do this-with prequels, sequels,reboots and revivals galore in our pop culture, taking something old school and putting a new spin on it is a talent that we've mastered to near perfection(or to detrimental levels, some would say).
Surely, we can find a new groove to carry us through to the better times to come and with any luck, books will lead the way or at least, give us a break from the new beat on the dance floor:
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